Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Lt. Colonel Alex Winn (third from left), and Major Eddie Ballew (third from right), were among U.S. Air Force personnel based at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs who flew to Steamboat Springs Airport in three Cirrus SR20 single-engine prop planes, now designated T-53 trainers. The fliers brushed up on mountain flying while treating Winn and Ballew to a "fini-flight," as they go off to other assignments, Winn in F-16 fighter jets and Ballew in KC135 Stratotankers.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A trio of U.S. Air Force Cirrus SR20 single-engine prop planes touched down at Steamboat Springs Airport at 11 a.m. May 9 after a 90-minute flight from their base in Colorado Springs.If the sleek and fast Cirrus doesn't fit your expectations for what military aircrafts look like, it's because these planes are among two dozen prop planes based at the Air Force Academy where the planes are deemed ideal to introduce the cadets to flying.With the cadets all in final exams this week, it was an ideal time for the more senior personnel to take a mountain flying orientation trip to Steamboat Springs Airport/Bob Adams Field. It was also an opportunity for a "fini-flight," or final flight, an Air Force tradition that grants personnel, who are being reassigned or retiring, a flight of their choice to mark the change.In this case, Lt. Colonel Alex Winn (call sign Splash) and Major Eddie Ballew (call sign Mogli) were being treated to a fini-flight because they are going on to assignments. Winn will return to flying F16 fighter jets. And Ballew will return to flying the KC135 Stratotanker, an aerial refueling aircraft.The crew left the airport and headed straight to Creekside Café for lunch — Winn's choice. He is familiar with Steamboat because he and his wife are looking for a home here.The Air Force chose the Cirrus aircraft in 2011 and designated them as T-53A trainers to replace a fleet of pilot trainers, the Diamond Aircraft DA 20, an aircraft which is still used elsewhere by the Air Force. The new aircrafts were delivered with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, airbag seat belts, an integrated roll cage in the fuselage and up-to-date avionics. Most first-year, or fourth class, cadets at the Air Force Academy are exposed to airmanship through four glider flights. By their third year, about 50 percent of cadets are enrolled in a soaring course with the chance to pilot and solo in a sailplane.First-class cadets have the opportunity to get involved in the Academy's power flight program, where military instructors provide a basic introduction to Air Force pilot training in the T53s. Based on proficiency, 50 percent of those involved will solo.Original article ➤ https://www.steamboattoday.com

May 9, 2018 – Fire units responded for a reported “aircraft accident” at the Nevada County Airport. At scene, crews found a single prop aircraft that had skidded of the runway and came to a stop in brush at the west end of the runway.The two occupants were out of the aircraft and denied any injury.Due to leaking fuel, several absorbent pads were placed and environmental health notified.Crews remained at scene approximately 2 1/2 hours for a crane to arrive and remove the aircraft.Battalion 1, E-5482 and E-86 were assisted by CAL FIRE, Sierra Nevada Ambulance and Nevada County Environmental Health Department. All units were released at 3:00 pm.Original article can be found here ➤ https://yubanet.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. watchdog will examine how well the Federal Aviation Administration handled maintenance oversight at American Airlines and Allegiant Air, a budget carrier whose safety standards have come under scrutiny.The review by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general announced on Wednesday follows a CBS “60 Minutes” report that questioned Allegiant’s safety standards and the FAA’s oversight of the airline. U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida called for an investigation after the report.“The traveling public deserves to know the whole story when it comes to the FAA’s oversight of airline maintenance,” Nelson said in a statement. “I expect the inspector general to leave no stone unturned.”American Airlines said it would work with the inspector general.“American Airlines was shocked to learn of the Office of Inspector General’s review and we stand by our strong safety record,” spokesman Ross Feinstein said in a statement. “Our team is working to understand why we are part of its review.”The Transportation Department in a memo said it had launched the audit after finding that the FAA had moved from “emphasizing enforcement actions to working with carriers to address the root causes for noncompliance of safety regulations.”The department said it also found significant discrepancies in the relationships and information-sharing practices between airlines and their FAA oversight offices.“Our objectives now are to assess FAA’s processes for investigating allegations of improper maintenance practices at two carriers, Allegiant Airlines and American Airlines,” the memo read.Allegiant Air in a statement said it follows federal safety mandates and welcomes the audit.“We welcome any analysis of our operation and safety culture, at any time. It will show what we know to be true, that Allegiant operates at the highest level of safety, in strict adherence with all FAA regulations and guidelines,” spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said.The FAA said it will work with the inspector general. After the “60 Minutes” report the FAA said: “The FAA has zero tolerance for intentional, reckless behavior, flagrant violations, or refusal to cooperate in corrective action by air carriers. When warranted, the agency routinely takes legal enforcement action against violators.” Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.reuters.com

Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey discusses the expansion of his company’s KHPN facility and what it means for Westchester county.

In May 2016, the Westchester County Board of Legislators approved a 30-year lease with Million Air, a fixed-base operator (FBO) that provides charter, management, and sales services out of Westchester County Airport (HPN). Once completed, the project will include a 20,000 sq. ft. terminal and 50,000 sq. ft. hangar devoted exclusively to corporate and private flights. The state-of-the-art terminal will include conference rooms, a gated entrance, a coffee stand, and even a golf simulator. Below, Million Air CEO Roger Woolsey discusses the project in greater detail.Million Air has a presence in four continents. Why was Westchester County Airport chosen as the site of one of its latest projects?Westchester County Airport is home to and serves many of the county’s most influential and community-contributing citizens and corporations. The airport infrastructure that services these clients, and the community as a whole, is underdeveloped and in need of updating and improvements. The fact that Westchester County Airport is one of the nation’s top corporate airports, and our desire and ability to operate a world-class business-aviation center, created the perfect opportunity for us and Westchester.Can you explain Million Air’s role in the expansion at HPN?Million Air is converting an aviation-services lease into a true welcome center at the airport. We believe our product is far more than simply selling gas from an airport building: It’s to design and build a facility that delivers a first impression that promotes Westchester on the world stage. A mile of concrete takes a car one mile, but a mile of runway opens up the world. We have very important companies and visitors who fly into Westchester daily, and we want those guests to fall in love with our community from the moment they land. We also need to help our local businesses uphold our community’s reputation by providing their “home base of operations” with a strong first impression. The construction will be elegant and quaint, the staff handpicked, and it will exude the best of the best in customer service.

Roger Woolsey, CEO, Million Air

In October 2016, you broke ground on an $88 million lodge-style hangar and terminal facility at HPN. What’s the status of that?The new hangar was completed in February and is open for business. The new lodge-style FBO is scheduled for completion by December.Whom will the new facility cater to?Several audiences: the local business owners who own and utilize the efficiencies only private aviation can provide and corporate travelers who visit Westchester for business.What does this project mean for your company, for private aviation companies, and for users in Westchester?The goal is to build the finest FBO in the US, one that will uphold the reputation and stature that Westchester was built on. The facility design promotes the local architecture, while the services will rival a five-star resort. Local users will have a home for their aviation assets and flight departments that is second to none. These departments create jobs and support local business to compete and flourish in the global economy, which strengthens the local economy.What kind of response did Million Air receive from the county regarding these plans?Most everyone has been very enthusiastic. We worked hard to educate those who did not understand our business model and how we would reduce environmental concerns, but once we were able to show the facts, we’ve had near-unanimous support.How will Million Air impact the airport’s overall environmental footprint?We are actually improving the environmental footprint through several strategies. Some involve de-icing, building materials, and air-traffic reductions. We are very excited to be part of a permanent and material contributor to improving the environmental footprint for Westchester County.Original article ➤ http://www.westchestermagazine.com

Farr Air's fleet of Thrush 510P's can carry 500 gallons of water or foam, and may be put to good use this dry summer.

Wildfires in the southeast may see a quicker response from the air by a local aerial application company, thanks to a provincial government initiative to contract 6 such operators to provide assistance this fire season.Farr Air's headquarters is in Weyburn, and they have bases in Estevan, Carlyle, and other communities around the region. While a normal day consists of skimming several feet above the crops, Owner Jeff Farr is among the 26 pilots so far trained to do the same over an inferno."We have five aircraft, and they are all capable of assisting in that. Most of our pilots have taken the training, some of them still have to do that, but we've got enough on staff here that we can assist for the 2018 season.""I think it's a great opportunity to help the fire departments in saving people and property from more damage. I'm just glad to be able to assist in it. We're glad to be a part of the communities and able to offer that support service," he said.Farr Air's fleet consists of 3 turbine Thrush 510P's each capable of carrying 500 gallons, a radial Thrush S-R2 holding 350 gallons, and a Weatherly 620B that holds 250 gallons."We will only be dropping water and foam, we're not certified to drop retardant. That's what they're usually using in British Columbia or areas where they've got that type of fires. Our aircraft are pretty limited to just using water and foam for what we can drop here," Farr explained.He noted that the maneuvers in the air will be similar to those used in aerial application, but coordination with everyone else battling the blaze will be important, which was stressed in the training he received at the beginning of February in Prince Albert."The biggest thing is the communications with the emergency services crews on the ground to make sure that we're on the same wavelength and we both understand where we're supposed to be putting the water when we drop it. It's not bad, once you go through it and you learn the terminology. They were great, they put on a great seminar, and there's going to be recurrent training going on with them as time goes on. We'll get it more fine tuned, and it should run pretty smooth."One of the major areas of appeal for the smaller aircraft doing the job is the faster response time and quicker access to the scene."There was a grass fire three miles from the airport the other day, and if we were called out, we could have been on that in half an hour and dropped water on it. Whereas, with those big planes up north, it'd take half the day to get them down here."While crop duster pilots often have the convenience and skill set to land on a grid road to fill the tank, Farr's units will still use actual runways."The nice thing is that we can work off of smaller airports. There's some grass runways around that you can't put the big aircraft on, and we've got some grass strips that we work Ag off of here too that we could utilize for these types of operations.""We're looking forward to being able to be part of this program and see it grow as time goes on," he concluded.Original article ➤ https://www.discoverestevan.com

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Chennault International Airport is getting a much needed upgrade to its main runway.Construction crews are repairing the runway, which hasn't seen major work done since 1986 when the airport reopened.The runway is 10,700 feet long, 200 feet wide and 17 inches thick, handling some of the largest aircraft's in the world.John McMullen, Chennault's Director of Maintenance construction, said they chose to give the runway a facelift to accommodate new and upcoming tenants."The first question a prospective tenant will ask is what is the condition of your runway," McMullen said. "We're able to accommodate any size plane and when the president decides he wants to land here, they want to know the condition of the airfield."Work on the runway will include runway reconstruction, lighting improvements and a blast pad.The project is expected to cost $7.2 Million, with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Louisiana Department of Transportation funding most of the work.McMullen said once the project is done in late August, it could bring a boost in the local economy, with more jobs available in aircraft maintenance.Recently, Chennault was named the "Louisiana Airport of the Year" by the Federal Aviation Administration, mainly due to developing a plan to improve the main runway without sacrificing service.Story and video ➤ http://www.kplctv.com

Recent high profile emergency landings notwithstanding, crashes and fatalities are still extremely rare among U.S. licensed commercial airlinesOn Sunday, the third airline flight in as many weeks diverted because of a broken window. This time, a JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico to Florida made an emergency landing. Two previous incidents involved Southwest Airlines 737s.James Simmons says that aging fleets could be responsible for the recent incidents. Simmons is professor of aviation and aerospace science at Metropolitan State University in Denver. He says the average age of a Southwest Airlines 737 is 10 years old.Federal Aviation Administration regulations require individual parts to be serviced or changed out, based on number of hours in operation, but there are no FAA regulations about the maximum lifespan of an older airplane or engine.Despite the recent Southwest Airlines disaster in which one passenger was killed, Simmons says that air travel in the U.S. is safer than ever.“That fatality, tragic as it was,” he says, “was the first passenger death since 2009, in all the licensed airlines in the United States.”He says that’s a remarkable safety record.“Southwest operates about 4,000 flights a day, with a fleet of over 700 airplanes,” Simmons says. “In a fleet that large, with as many take offs and landings as they do, they use their airplanes pretty hard. But I have no qualms about flying on Southwest.”Story and audio ➤ http://www.texasstandard.org

The Wall Street JournalBy Robert Wall in London andNicolas Parasie in DubaiMay 9, 2018 10:51 a.m. ETThe world’s largest plane makers were the biggest and earliest beneficiaries of the Obama administration’s detente with Iran. President Donald Trump’s decision to walk away from the deal could leave them the first and hardest hit.Boeing Company, the world’s largest plane maker, and European rival Airbus SE signed more than $40 billion in combined plane deals with Iranian carriers after the U.S. and five other world powers lifted sanctions in return for Tehran agreeing to curb its nuclear ambitions.Those orders stand to be voided after the White House said it would rescind licenses for plane exports to Iran, following President Trump’s decision Tuesday to pull the U.S. out of what he called a “one sided” nuclear deal.The fortunes of Boeing and Airbus are closely linked to far bigger markets in the U.S., Europe and Asia, but Iran has long presented an attractive growth market, because of the country’s old fleet of planes and large population eager to travel. Iranian officials have suggested the country could need 400 planes or more over the next decade, making it potentially one of the world’s biggest airplane growth markets.Iranian airlines that were stuck with some of the world’s oldest fleets after years of being blocked from buying new planes were looking to introduce new western jets to revive their fortunes.Airbus had delivered three of its 100 planes ordered by Iran Air before the U.S. decision—those planes combined are valued at around $600 million at list price. No Boeing planes have gone to Iran under contracts announced with Iran Air and Iran Aseman Airlines after the lifting of sanctions by the Obama administration in 2016.Airbus, which is subject to U.S. rules because its planes use American-made components, said it was evaluating next steps and would comply with U.S. sanctions and export control regulations. Boeing had no comment.Turboprop maker ATR, a joint venture between Airbus and Italy’s Leonardo SpA, said it had delivered eight of 20 planes Iran Air ordered for delivery between last year and this under a contract valued at around $536 million. A further 12 planes in various stages of production are now in limbo. ATR wouldn’t comment on what may happen to the planes.Though the deals carried multibillion-dollar price tags before industry standard discounts, analysts see minimal impacts on Airbus and Boeing from the U.S. decision. Both manufacturers have backlogs of orders assuring production for several years from other airlines.“The total number of orders affected represents just 2% of the companies’ combined order backlogs,” Bernstein Research said in a note.Airbus shares were about 1% lower Wednesday in Europe, trading just shy of their all-time high. Boeing shares closed 0.6% lower Tuesday and were up slightly in early New York trade Wednesday.Iranian carriers, which have limited options to go elsewhere for new planes, are seen as the biggest losers. Washington’s action “will slow down Iran’s vital re-equipage and fleet upgrade,” said Andrew Charlton, managing director of Aviation Advocacy, a Geneva-based consultancy.Iranian carriers haven’t said how they will react. Options to source planes from other makers are limited, though, because U.S. parts are incorporated by Brazilian, Canadian, Russian and Chinese plane makers. Plus, none of those manufacturers offer the full range of planes Iranian carriers seek.The U.S. government said that after a period for companies to wind down dealings with Iran that ends Aug. 6, commercial plane licenses will formally be revoked. It said it would still consider permitting the sale of plane parts to assure flight safety.Concern over the future of the nuclear deal had already weighed on airlines doing business flying to Iran. Demand for lucrative business travel softened as concerns increased that President Trump would walk away from the accord, according to airline officials.Air France-KLM SA, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, announced in May it would curtail service to Tehran because of “weak economic performance.” The flights, operated by the Franco-Dutch carriers Joon operation, will only serve the Iranian capital in the summer months and be suspended for about five months starting in late October.Etihad Airways, the flag carrier for Abu Dhabi, suspended flights to Tehran in January amid poor profitability.Emirates Airline Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said the carrier would react to demand changes, without signaling if the airline, the world’s largest by international traffic, would adjust its flights to Iran.Car makers and oil companies, such as Total SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC, are among other businesses that courted deals in Iran. Shell said it was assessing the impact of the executive order. Total declined to comment after the announcement.Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wsj.com